SAPS Terminates Top Crime Intelligence Deputy as 39-Million-Rand Asset Investigation Accel

Major General Feroz Khan's dismissal from the South African Police Service on 2 September marks the formal end of his tenure as deputy head of Crime Intelligence, but the operational and financial scrutiny surrounding that tenure shows no sign of abating. SAPS terminated Khan under Regulation 9(7)(b) of the Discipline Regulations after he failed to appear before the designated senior officer conducting expeditious disciplinary proceedings. The Labour Court had already rejected his urgent application to block those proceedings, removing the final procedural barrier to termination. Brigadier Athlenda Mathe, SAPS spokesperson, framed the dismissal as institutional accountability, emphasizing that rank confers no exemption from disciplinary frameworks or law. The financial profile that triggered the investigation remains the core concern. Khan accumulated approximately R39 million in property and acquired roughly 30 vehicles within a single year, a portfolio that investigators say his police salary could not support. That disparity has become the focal point of multiple concurrent proceedings: a criminal case pending in Kempton Park Magistrates' Court, a widening Madlanga Commission inquiry into his conduct within Crime Intelligence, and separate questions about the source and legitimacy of his wealth accumulation. The criminal matter originates in a May 2021 incident at OR Tambo International Airport. Khan was arrested alongside Gauteng Hawks head Major General Ebrahim Kadwa and businessman Tariq Downes on allegations of unlawful possession of precious metals and defeating the ends of justice. Prosecutors allege Downes was carrying 75.9 grams of unwrought gold and claimed he was executing an undercover operation. Khan and Kadwa allegedly intervened to secure Downes' release, though investigators found no authorized operation existed. All three received R20,000 bail. The matter remains pending. By contrast, the Madlanga Commission has widened considerably beyond the airport incident. Lieutenant Colonel Nkoana Joseph Sebola testified that Khan's involvement in the 2021 Aeroton cocaine seizure was irregular and that he interfered in subsequent investigations. Evidence leaders presented WhatsApp messages and material from Khan's electronic devices alleging he facilitated tenders for tobacco mogul Mohamed Sayed. The commission also heard claims that Khan passed confidential police information to EFF leader Julius Malema through Sayed and drafted parliamentary questions for the politician. Malema acknowledged knowing Khan and contacting Sayed after Khan was shot, but denied providing protection or interfering with parliamentary scrutiny. Evidence leader advocate Adila Hassim pressed Khan on the financial disparity between his documented income and his property and vehicle acquisitions. That line of inquiry intersects with allegations involving former Investigating Directorate Against Corruption head Andrea Johnson, who the commission heard leaked a 2018 police docket to Khan before he provided a warning statement. Johnson invoked her right against self-incrimination when questioned, citing an NPA docket under consideration for prosecution. Medical certificates Khan submitted to explain his absence from work and proceedings came under scrutiny this week. Hassim raised concerns about document dates, and Khan's doctor reportedly told the commission that Khan's son had requested date changes, resulting in backdated notes. Khan was shot and wounded in an apparent murder attempt in Johannesburg in June, days before he was scheduled to testify. His absence allowed evidence against him to proceed without his testimony or rebuttal. The commission has been explicit on one point. The allegations against Khan remain untested. He has not given evidence before the inquiry and has not had the opportunity to respond to all charges levelled against him. Whether Khan will eventually appear before the commission to contest the financial and operational allegations, or whether the criminal proceedings in Kempton Park will reach a verdict first, remains the question shaping the next phase of both inquiries.